Following his 2016 album, It’s Not About The Witches, T.O.L.D. makes a suitably dark and dramatic entrance into the new year with ‘1989’. Although many of the tracks on the aforementioned LP carry a foreboding air, this sparse, slow-burning ballad steps further into the shadows. Recalling the year he was born, this Los Angeles-via-Birmingham songwriter imagines becoming “brand new” again with life’s disappointments and heartaches washed away. ‘1989’ opens with a haunting lullaby-esque piano melody, which is met by T.O.L.D.’s noticeably autotuned vocals, seeming indifferent to his tales of the past. As the song progresses, the cyclical chorus flourishes with sustained synth chords, chirping trap beats and intermittent clicks. Despite the increasingly layered production, the song maintains the appearance of a placid lake, easily tempting the listener to “follow me down to the blue, where you're new; Brand New.” - HT